Food and Beverage Marketing

GOAL: To increase the chances students will adopt healthier behaviors that will last a lifetime by eliminating the marketing of junk foods to children while encouraging healthy food consumption.

1. Regulate the Marketing of Unhealthy Food In or Near Schools and Other Youth Facilities

The Issues and the Research: Food and beverage marketing intentionally targets children who are too young to tell advertising from the truth—and most encourages them to eat low-nutrient, energy-dense junk foods.¹ According to the Institute of Medicine, food and beverage marketing practices geared to children and youth are out of balance with healthful diets and contribute to an environment that puts their health at risk. Furthermore, a 2008 Federal Trade Commission report found that 44 companies reported spending a total of approximately $870 million on food marketing directed to children under 12, and more than $1 billion on marketing to adolescents. A majority of this advertising was for sugary beverages and energy-dense foods.² Coupled with the increased availability of competitive foods in U.S. schools, increased food and beverage marketing to children can have detrimental effects on children’s food choices.

Potential Stakeholders

Policy-makers
State and local elected and appointed officials
Schools officials (e.g., state boards of education, local school boards and school administrators)

Other Government and Community Stakeholders
County and city health officials
Food policy councils
Food and beverage vendors

Policy and Program Options

Vending policies
School district officials and state and local policy-makers can adopt vending machine policies that prohibit the marketing and sale of unhealthy foods and beverages in youth centers, school facilities, and parks department facilites, as well as other facilities owned or operated by state and local governments. In addition, many vending contracts have stipulations that allow the vendor to market/advertise in schools. Policy-makers can ensure that these clauses are restricted.

Advertising in and near schools
School district officials can decline offers from food and beverage marketers to sponsor before- and after-school programs, and they can turn down donations (e.g., a new scoreboard with a beverage company logo on it or new uniforms for sports teams with food and beverage logos). School officials can limit or restrict vending machine covers, book covers and other “giveaways,” etc., from food and beverage companies. Many communities already have ordinances that restrict alcohol and tobacco billboard advertisements near schools and youth centers. State and local policy-makers can consider ordinances that restrict advertising of unhealthy foods and beverages near schools, youth centers and other areas where youth gather.

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1 Obesity as a Public Health Issue: A Look at Solutions. Results From A National Poll. Cambridge, MA: Lake Snell Perry & Associates, June 2003. Available at www.phsi.harvard.edu/health_reform/poll_results.pdf.
2 Marketing Food to Children and Adolescents: A Review of Industry Expenditures, Activities and Self-Regulation. A Report to Congress. Washington: Federal Trade Commission, July 2008. Available at www.ftc.gov/os/2008/07/P064504foodmktingreport.pdf.